European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 22, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Friday july 22, 1988 the stars and stripes commentary Mercer s go Den olympic Road while Robin Givens keeps striking Gold through Mike Tyson s fists an obscure infantryman keeps marching toward Gold in Seoul. That would be Ray Mercer. The slugging sergeant made it saturday. He clinched the heavyweight spoon the . Olympic boxing team by beating new York s Michael Bent in a 3-2 decision at the olym Pic Box offs in Las vegas. In Caesars Palace to be exact. That s a Long Way from his 8th inf div suite at Smith Barracks m Baum older West Germany. Also a Long Way from the caverns where Mercer won his three Susareu heavyweight titles Kaiserslautern s Kleber Cavern in 1985, Darmstadt s Cambrai Fritsch Cavern in 1986 and Neu Ulm s Wiley Barracks in 1987. An army Boxer can get lost in Europe. The Eye of american to does t follow Usa eur sports so Mercer was unknown outside military circles during the olympic boxing trials two weeks ago in con Cord Calif. Mercer dropped in on the trials from such a Long distance that Keith Jackson barely noticed him. Theaby announcer had no trouble detailing the exploits of Bent the King from Queens who reigned As .Amateur Champ from 1985 to 87. Even when Mercer proved merciless in his 5-0pounding of Bent Jackson saved most of his re Marks and questions for the new yorker. Jackson figured Bent would rebound in the follow ing week s Box offs in vegas. Wrong Keith. Mercer beat Bent again. Of picked up the trials telecast but not the Box offs so i can Only guess that Jackson gave Mercer his due saturday. Mercer s March in t Over. He Hopes to retain the heavyweight Gold for his country that hell do what with Cuba promising to stay Clear of Korea. Yet just Landing on the . Olympic team is a marvelous feat for a Usa eur athlete a feat that was predicted by Vii corps boxing guru Freddie Giddens former Vii corps Czar Tom Hlavacek and army boxing coach Hank Johnson. The army backed Mercer to the Hilt. It found him fights in Sweden and Norway. And when Mercer s Lack of formal education nearly forced him out of the service in May the army fought to keep him through the olympics which Start sept. 17. Hlava Cek who saw Mercer Start fighting in Schweinfurt in 1983 and now is with the department of the army in Washington was in the thick of that fight. So what do the exploits of this Soldier from Jacksonville fla., have to do with Robin Givens and Mike Tyson plenty. Tyson is a heavyweight Champion. He makes Mil Lions of dollars. Givens married him for yes love and Mike s stunning Good looks. And just a Little forthe mansion and Rolls and diamonds and Tyson s Gold Teeth. Which is Why Robin Givens also goes by Robin Hood. She takes from the Rich and gives to the Semi Rich herself. Mercer is also a heavyweight Champion. He wants millions of dollars. His wife Connie no doubt endorses that ambition. Figure Mercer wins the Gold in Seoul. He exits the army and turns pro next year. Goodbye Baumholzer. Hello at Tyson s Competition. What Competition ninety one seconds from Michael Spinks. If fran Bruno does t go quicker it s fixed. Evander holy Field won t last five. The Only Way George Foreman could share Tyson s stage would be in a diet Pep Siad but even then he better shed 50 pounds. That might leave Ray Mercer. He says he s 27years old and the army says 28, but either Way he can t wait Long for a title fight. Let s say within three years. For the heavyweight championship of the world. For millions. Enough for Ray to switch his account from merchants Bank to Merrill Lynch. All of which Means Mercer and mrs. Mercer Are headed for the Good life. Connie might not be a aggressive As Robin but she should have a Field Day directing his spending toward Saks furs parisian shop hops an estate in the country. Is a Good thing for mrs. Mercer that she s sticking with or. Mercer. Because if she weren to i d recommend a woman just for him. This woman can shuffle credit cards like a Bridge player. She fondles Rikimoto pearls like a Gambler with Dice. She would have no trouble adjusting to a Bentley. That s my that i would demand that big a Cut As match maker. Just enough to buy that 82,000-Mark antique closet i spotted in downtown Heidelberg the other Day. Frankly i m tired of passing by Gucci without buying anything. Like that $7,000 watch for in think about it Ray. After you turn pro you la have plenty to go around. You can bet plenty of friends will be around to grab it. The stars and stripes military Power lifters place first at vegas Spain s Pedro Delgado leads the Netherlands Steve Rooks by 4 58 through thursday. Delgado cleared of drug question pads tour Lead be Puy de dome France a Pedro Delgado of Spain the Leader of the tour de France was cleared thursday of suspicion that he was taking a banned drug organizers of the cycling race said. The announcement was made after the second analysis of a urine Sample take last week after Delgado took Over the Lead of the three week tour. With a commanding Lead Over second place Steven Rooks of the Netherlands Delgado is nearly certain to win the tour when it concludes sunday. Officials said the tests showed traces of the drug Proben Icid which is not on the list of substances banned by the International cycling Union. Proben Icid which doctors say can reused to avoid detection of anabolic steroids or other drugs in a urinalysis is banned by the International olympic committee. Delgado finished third in thursday s stage a 188-Kilometer 117-mile leg from Limoges to be Puy de dome. Denmark s Johnny Weltz won the leg in 5 hours 14 minutes 34 seconds with West Germany s Rolf Golz second. Delgado finished 5 24 behind he increased his Overall advantage Over Rooks to 4 58. Compiled by Klint Johnson assistant sports editor Power lifting three lifters stationed in Europe two from Safe and one from Usa eur helped the armed forces team win its third straight National senior championship at Las vegas nev., earlier this month. David Pattaway of Ben Waters eng land won the 123-Pound division Mark Barber of Lakenheath England placed second at 181 pounds and Usa eur Roosevelt Thomas of Bamberg West Germany was fourth in the 114 class. Pattaway had a 195-kilogram squat lift 90 in the Bench press and 237.5 inthe dead lift for a 522.5-kilogram total. Barber s lifts were a 320 squat 172.5bench press and 317.5 dead lift for an 810 total. Thomas numbers for squat Bench dead lift and total were 167.5, 87.5,175 and 430 kilograms. The armed forces got 98 Points with the North Carolina team runner up at 73. Wrestling two army madmen and two marines gave the . Armed forces team four Gold med als in the Conseil International do sport Militare cism Greco roman championships at Palermo Italy. The army Gold medallists were 180.5-Pounder Randy couture and 198-Pound or Derrick Walroup both from fort Campbell by. The Marine winners were Eric Wetzel at 105.5 pounds and Craig Pittman at 286 the smallest and largest wrestlers on the team. Wetzel and Pittman both station Dat Quantico va., were double Gold med lists having also placed first in the earlier ism freestyle championships. The . Placed first in team Competition followed by Iran and West Germany. Racquetball Hahn a will sponsor the Shuford s Farewell Racquet Ball tournament july 29-31. Compete local Roundup Tion will be held in the women s Operand b division and men s open b and seniors 35 and Over entry fee is $15 or 30 Marks with a deadline of Register and for More information Call Jann minor at 450-6175 or civilian 06543-6606 evenings Marathon the Usa eur sports office has clarified the sponsorship of one of the two marathons scheduled aug. 7 at Fulda West dropped Marathon run Ning this year along with several other sports after nine years of official mar athon the Usa eur invitational this year the event is sponsored by the local military Community. It will braced in conjunction with the German sponsored run in the Rhoen both Over the traditional 26.2-mile 13.2-mile cavalry mini Marathon will also be held aug. 7 at and Field the 21 St sup port command championships will be run one Day earlier than originally announced on aug. 12-13 instead of aug. 13-14. Site of the meet will be the Wald station in Homburg West the Canadian forces in Baden Solingen have a fast pitch tournament scheduled sept. 3-5, an they need teams. Entry fee for each team is 400 Marks but if you win the tournament your team collects 550 Marks. Call Ian Whitecross at Auto on 783-8646. Radio baseball montreal1 30 . Saturday. At Cincinnati
